Apple may have been paid $9.5B by Google in 2018 to stay default Safari search option

Google may have paid Apple close to $9.5 billion in 2018 to remain the default search engine in Safari, Goldman Sachs analysts said in an investor memo this week.

That would account for over 20 percent of Apple's services revenue, the memo indicated according toCNBC. Apple doesn't break down its services results, which also include money from businesses like Apple Music, iTunes, and the App Store.

Nevertheless, Google's share of the services segment is expected to decline. To add "mid to high single digits growth" back to services revenue, it's argued Apple will need a successful launch of a rumored subscription bundle including Apple Music, Apple News Magazines, and an unnamed video streaming service. The package should arrive in the first half of the year, possibly as soon as March or April.

Publishers are allegedly resisting Magazines however, since Apple is demanding half of subscription revenue while refusing to share as much customer data as publications are used to.

Multiple research firms have predicted that Apple will transition towards becoming more of a services company. That could prove critical to its survival -- the global smartphone industry is beginning to plateau and even decline, and Apple is still overwhelmingly dependent on the iPhone. In the December quarter iPhone revenues fell 15 percent year-over-year, and they aren't expected to resume growth until new models ship this fall.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty recently argued that an Apple service bundle could push the company back to a $1 trillion valuation.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Obviously Google’s own research indicates enough people would just use whatever the default is or Google wouldn’t pay them this money. They’re not forking over $10 billion a year to one of their arch rivals out of generosity.

Google pays Mozilla a substantial amount of money to keep Google the default search engine in Firefox. If you’re using Firefox, you’re savvy enough to know how to change your default search engine. There is just a substantial amount of people that don’t care and will use the default.

Have you used another search engine lately? Duck Duck Go is pretty damn good.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Quid pro quo.

Apple also doesn’t stop the auto play of ads (videos). The unmentioned deal that makes Google a bundle.

Multiple research firms have predicted that Apple will transition towards becoming more of a services company. That could prove critical to its survival -- the global smartphone industry is beginning to plateau and even decline, and Apple is still overwhelmingly dependent on the iPhone. In the December quarter iPhone revenues fell 15 percent year-over-year, and they aren't expected to resume growth until new models ship this fall.

Er, define “dependent on”. iPhone may be a large percentage of their profits, but even the other lines are larger than othe entire tech companies.

You’re high, get real. Google is still considered the better search engine, and leaving it default doesn’t negate Apple’s position on what Apple itself does with your data, which is what they advertise. You are always free to use whatever search you want. Further, with platform ad and cookie blockers now a feature (I use the excellent 1Blocker), you can take further steps to protect yourself.

You’re high, get real. Google is still considered the better search engine, and leaving it default doesn’t negate Apple’s position on what Apple itself does with your data, which is what they advertise. You are always free to use whatever search you want. Further, with platform ad and cookie blockers now a feature (I use the excellent 1Blocker), you can take further steps to protect yourself.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Quid pro quo.

Apple also doesn’t stop the auto play of ads (videos). The unmentioned deal that makes Google a bundle.

There you have it. It’s not just to be the default, it’s what Apple might do to lock down Google if there were no partnership.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Obviously Google’s own research indicates enough people would just use whatever the default is or Google wouldn’t pay them this money. They’re not forking over $10 billion a year to one of their arch rivals out of generosity.

Google pays Mozilla a substantial amount of money to keep Google the default search engine in Firefox. If you’re using Firefox, you’re savvy enough to know how to change your default search engine. There is just a substantial amount of people that don’t care and will use the default.

Have you used another search engine lately? Duck Duck Go is pretty damn good.

Agreed. Bing works just fine for me. I should give Duck Duck Go a chance. People talk about "phones" as a mature platform with little to distinguish the top players; Search is in the same boat.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

You'd be surprised how many people don't give a sh** who returns their results. At work they use Bing when Internet explorer is open. They don't think "Oh shoot this ain't Google! Let me close the window." So in theory if Apple made DDG default, they would gain 100s of millions of users overnight.

Gotta wonder why Google pays Apple for this. Are people so stupid they can’t figure out how to make Google the default? Don’t most people actually want Google as their search engine. I see posts on the Apple discussion forums from users who want to know how to change Safari back to Google when they accidentally set it to Bing. Don’t see many asking how to get rid of Google. I mean it’s great money for Apple but why?

Quid pro quo.

Apple also doesn’t stop the auto play of ads (videos). The unmentioned deal that makes Google a bundle.

There you have it. It’s not just to be the default, it’s what Apple might do to lock down Google if there were no partnership.

What always makes me laugh is, if Google would have never betrayed Apple, they would have been more successful and wouldn't have to bleed this money. LMAO!!!!!!